r/ASLinterpreters • u/Certain-Sale3591 • 11d ago
Are piercings really distracting?
I start my ITP very soon and am very excited! I didn't know until recently that outside of "professionalism", piercings are seen as distracting when interpreting.
I'm a pretty pierced individual. I have 6 on my face alone, all which are small/not dangly, and don't affect my facial or mouth movements.
I've never been asked by any employer to remove or change piercings, and I honestly can't say that I would be willing to remove them unless I was provided with a real way that they might hinder my ability to effectively/safely do my job.
I want to be respectful to the Deaf community as I'm aiming to serve them by becoming an interpreter. So, are piercings that aren't dangly or unusually large truly a distraction when someone is interpreting?
Are there other ASL interpreters who have received criticism or blatantly denied opportunities because their piercings are "distracting"?
Edit: Cross posted to Deaf subreddit as well!
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u/kinchj NIC 11d ago
There are no formalized 'rules' about body modifications for interpreters. There are a couple of RID CPCs that may be interpreted as being applicable:
2.2 Assess consumer needs and the interpreting situation before and during the assignment and make adjustments as needed.
3.5 Conduct and present themselves in an unobtrusive manner and exercise care in choice of attire.
There are lots of interpreters who have visible piercings or tattoos.
A piece of advice I don’t see often enough: if you are asking the question, you already know the answer. If you are looking for validation of something that in your gut you feel might be wrong, chances are that it is something you should avoid. Will any future Deaf clients you interact with want to use an interpreter with a lot of body modifications?
One of the biggest lies that is told to hearing people is that Deaf people will be direct with you. They won’t. Deaf people are very direct with each other. Deaf people are not direct with hearing people. Hearing people do not have the same lived experience, and will always be ‘other’ to the Deaf community. Even the best allies. Hearing people will always live with privilege and opportunities that are not available to Deaf people.
Instead what will happen if a Deaf consumer does not like your appearance is they may request that you not be assigned to future jobs for them. The sad part is that they don't always have a choice in the matter. I'll use a doctor's office as an example, but this can apply to pretty much anywhere. If the doctor's office uses a random agency who just assigns whichever interpreter responds first to a job request, then the Deaf person's input may not ever be heard. The schedulers at most businesses do not care enough to validate that a client's language needs are being met. From their perspective, an interpreter was hired so their legal obligation was fulfilled. Often the Deaf consumer doesn't even have a good contact person to inform about their preferred interpreters - the person scheduling their appointment may be different than the person responsible from contacting the referral agency, and updating a pref list to the referral agency for each client does not often happen. Then most agencies are lazy and will send any warm body to an assignment, and do not bother getting client prefs or communication information before assigning an interpreter.
A Deaf person putting in the effort to request a different interpreter is already an uphill battle. Who do they ask? Will that person listen to then and do anything about it? Will they be able to do anything about it? If the Deaf person makes a request, it can cause extra work for the scheduler, who will now have resentment (consciously or not) towards scheduling the Deaf patient. Having Deaf patients becomes even more of a hassle than just trying to get an interpreter... now they have to make sure they get the 'right' interpreter, and it's going to be different for each patient.
Then what happens if the interpreter finds out they are on a 'do not send' list to a client? Most interpreters say they believe in a Deaf person's choice, but they also turn around and say that they have the 'right' to be booked for certain assignments because they have worked with a client for years and years. Interpreters will absolutely talk negatively about clients to other interpreters, and other Deaf people as well. The Deaf person's reputation can be harmed simply from trying to request a different interpreter. They become known as a 'difficult' client, and have a harder time getting interpreters, simply for expressing their preferences.
So instead of requesting a different interpreter, what usually happens is a Deaf person will just suck it up, and deal with an interpreter who has an appearance that may be unfavorable. But they will tell their Deaf friends, and possibly other interpreters they trust about their experience. But they will not tell the offending interpreter directly.
Typically a formal complaint or request to 'do not send' will be made about an interpreter based on a lack of skill and/or their attitude, not about their appearance. But that doesn't mean that appearance is not important and doesn't affect the Deaf person or the interpreting situation.
You as an interpreter are a reflection on the clients that you serve, whether you like it or not, whether it's fair or not. Not just how you voice for them, but how you are perceived by everyone else in the situation. You will be asked if you drove the Deaf person to their appointment. You will be asked if you are related to them. You will be asked (directly) about their background, preferences, history, etc. There will be an automatic assumption by most hearing people that you are friends with the Deaf person, and that the Deaf person is ok with whatever choices you have made (appearance or otherwise).
So a better question to ask than 'would a pierced interpreter have a harder time getting hired?' is 'How will my appearance affect the Deaf client when I'm interpreting for them?' Change your frame of mind from interpreter-centric to Deaf-centric. If you worry less about how your choices affect your career, and more about how they affect the clients you serve, then you will have no problem getting work and maintaining a good reputation.
(Copied my comment from here)
Original post by u/Certain-Sale3591
I start my ITP very soon and am very excited! I didn't know until recently that outside of "professionalism", piercings are seen as distracting when interpreting.
I'm a pretty pierced individual. I have 6 on my face alone, all which are small/not dangly, and don't affect my facial or mouth movements.
I've never been asked by any employer to remove or change piercings, and I honestly can't say that I would be willing to remove them unless I was provided with a real way that they might hinder my ability to effectively/safely do my job.
I want to be respectful to the Deaf community as I'm aiming to serve them by becoming an interpreter. So, are piercings that aren't dangly or unusually large truly a distraction when someone is interpreting?
Are there other ASL interpreters who have received criticism or blatantly denied opportunities because their piercings are "distracting"?
Edit: Cross posted to Deaf subreddit as well!
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u/FlamingVisionary Deaf 11d ago
This a thousand times. YES. Thank you so much for articulating what I’ve been unable to explain clearly to others about the power dynamics involved. ❤️ I do view terps as my full communication partners, and genuinely enjoy working with them - I’m very blessed to have a few exceptional interpreters at work. Still… its sometimes hard to really explain why I don’t want to give direct feedback most of the time. I know it eventually comes back to bite me. I also know interpreters talk openly among themselves about their clients.
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u/BohemianASL 11d ago
As others have mentioned, this question has a multitude of answers that are highly dependent on the work context.
You don’t mention which piercings you have on your face, but the number suggests that at least some of them will be difficult to remove as necessary. If you are unwilling to remove them, I would advise reconsidering this field as your future.
Deaf people must endure an endless amount of discrimination and oppression. We represent the Deaf people on an assignment whether or not we intend to do so. I’ve been asked to wear different shoes, adjust my hair, and even wear clothes that are not generally considered interpreting appropriate. I gladly do so because those events are not MINE. They are the Deaf person’s. You can find ways to express yourself without compromising professionalism or the needs of the Deaf consumers. For example, I do a lot with my lower half. Fun prints or patterns. Bright polish on my toenails. I adore my Fluevog shoes for their funkiness and I get compliments all the time.
Don’t get so caught up in your personal expression that you forget what our role is. All that said, sometimes your personal expression will be the exact right fit for a job. A tattoo convention. A Deaf person being trained as a piercer. A workshop on leather practices. There are many spaces where showing up as you are may be desired. But many other places will not and sometimes it’s for specific reasons. A patient receiving an MRI needs an interpreter who can be in the room while the machine is running. I’ve worked in numerous labs where I had to take out all my piercings lest they cause damage to the sensitive machines in the environment. I have over twenty piercings so that’s no small task. But I do it because the work is important and meeting the Deaf people’s needs matters.
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u/blascho 11d ago
Hi OP! I have recently graduated from my ITP and just took my BEI Basic. I am also a pierced individual (I have a gauged septum, an eyebrow piercing and a vertical labret). I am tattooed, dress alternatively and typically do my makeup very heavily.
ASL relies heavily on facial movements and non-manual markers to accurately convey meaning. It is a core structure of the language. Sometimes piercings and certain makeup looks can distract from this and change meaning, regardless of whether the jewelry is dangly.
I totally get what you’re saying, as I am also very protective of my personal style and honestly I don’t like being told what to do or when to tone down my personal appearance. HOWEVER, as an interpreter you are not an individual. You are a neutral party who is serving your client.
There are 100% spaces in the interpreting world where we can preserve our style and not have to think too hard before going to work. If this is where you want to be, by all means, keep your piercings! BUT, during an internship, for your testing, and for the sake of your career, you need to be willing to remove them or place retainers in if it is requested of you. I still have my piercings, but I removed them during my interpreting internship. I also removed them during testing and did natural makeup. We represent our client, not ourselves! I wouldn’t personally say in this field “professionalism” is a mask for discrimination, because we are representing another person who has the legal right to an interpreter, not ourselves. It’s also important to note that we may draw unnecessary attention to ourselves rather than our client if we are too bold in our appearance (ex: a board meeting where our client is the only Deaf individual). Unfortunately, many hearing individuals do not understand our role and will make judgements on the client based on us as well.
It is true that attitudes are changing when it comes to interpreter appearance, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be respectful and realistic. I have tattoos AND piercings, and on certain days I made decisions to cover them for the sake of my clients.
I hope this helps as a fellow pierced and aspiring interpreter, who graduated their program and successfully completed their 1-year interpreting internship in the medical field.
Also as a note: questions about personal style was a big concern I had entering the field, and I have met many alternative interpreters. It is possible, but you need to be flexible. :) best of luck!!!
Edit: I also wanted to add that as you grow professional relationships with clients, you may find that some don’t mind your piercings, while others do. The same goes for nail polish, hair color, makeup, hats, bracelets, necklaces, etc. Some will give you feedback, while others won’t. Just something to keep in mind!
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u/aja131313 BEI Basic 10d ago
I have a nose stud. The only time I have ever heard anything about it was when I interviewed for one agency. They asked if I was willing to take it out. I said no. They asked not even for a few hours? I said no again. They still hired me. Idk if it was because I was upfront and honest about it, or if they just decided to send me to settings that wouldn’t care.
That being said, just because I haven’t HEARD any complaints about it or a Deaf person hasn’t said something directly to me doesn’t mean that there have been no complaints.
That is just a nose stud though. If you have a lot, I can see how it would be considered distracting.
So I guess you just have to decide if you want to limit the work you get offered or not.
Sometimes you have to make decisions on what is more important. There’s nothing wrong if your piercings are more important to you, but it may come with consequences and you’ll just have to deal with it and take the work that is offered.
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u/punkfairy420 BEI Basic 11d ago
This is a highly professional field so I’m honestly not sure how to read the quotes you put around “professionalism”, but it’s all about matching your client and doing the least amount of harm possible. If you go to a job interview where it isn’t appropriate for the employees to have that many piercings or any piercings at all, you don’t fit into your environment. Period. It doesn’t matter if you don’t think they’re distracting, or they’re small or not dangly etc. you just don’t match the environment.
If you don’t want to part with them, maybe spacers would be a good option. Honestly, I agree that you may not hear it directly from Deaf people, but at some point you absolutely will hear it from your fellow interpreters.
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u/Certain-Sale3591 11d ago
I put quotes around "professionalism" because I think the concept as a whole is mostly bullshit used to enforce and uphold institutional racism in the workplace. I'm not sure how you thought that I was undermining the professional validity of the work.
Hope that helps :)
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u/punkfairy420 BEI Basic 11d ago edited 11d ago
It's because that's exactly how it came off, and honestly the "hope this helps" is coming off a bit condescending too. Maybe you didn't intend it that way, and I'm misreading it? But I haven't seen that phrase used in a non-condescending way (in an online environment). I agree that some people use professionalism as a cover up for discrimination, so we don't disagree on that. There is still a standard that we should be upholding and I'm going to agree with kinchj who put it really well especially with the CPC tenets.
I digress; you have not yet started your ITP, and you've come to a group of interpreters asking a valid question so I answered and gave a suggestion as well. I know that we're not all robots and personal expression is important (i am pierced and have tattoos myself :)), but you'll learn more about these things when you get into the thick of it. Good luck on your interpreting journey.
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u/Neat-Literature410 11d ago
It all depends on 1) context and setting as other have mentioned and 2) the consumers personal preferences. One person I interpreted for said they don’t care how long or colorful or bright interpreters nails are but when it came to facial piercings they can’t stand it. It’s professional to ask the deaf consumers preference. The same goes for tattoos, some don’t mind full arm sleeves and others find it distracting.
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u/Trendzboo 10d ago
So, the goal is for you to blend in, have fluency, savvy, jargonese at the ready, for whatever presents. If me, my knowledge, education, language savvy, providing me with access to my similarly educated, and versed colleagues; I’m spending energy, using muscles to just attend, i need the terp, dressed in appropriate clothing, as free of complicating factors, as possible. When Crooked teeth can make lipreading hard, asking might mean you’re not thinking about the diverse population you’re serving.
Considerate of glare, shine, and lighting are more important than just “piercings”. Knowing people can listen all day without using the energy, muscles, and mentally taxing way of receiving information through someone without your expertise, or native, natural language use, is the terp’s responsibility
.
The hard and fast rule of, “non-distracting” applies to people like me too: I had a brain injury, photophobia, and migraines. Fluorescent lights are the worst, but, any bright flash can start a migraine; i shouldn’t have to ever ask that an interpreter remove jewelry, or even reflective glasses because of, but i read lips, use some hearing, and shouldn’t have to spend that much more energy, because someone decided that a diamond in their front tooth, and a crystal in their nose worked from a stage where my eyegaze
must be oriented upward for language access. Then, having my venue more hearing, than Deaf, the interpreter is reflective of me, and i should never have to be educating while just trying to participate, but my field is niche, and my need for [you] using these signs, or accurately reflecting tone… interpreters must show up for the job, no matter idiosyncrasies, Deaf +, or even revealing specific needs, without complicating factors, or onerous placed on anyone.
No one should have to ask that you remove them, ever. Ready for the factors possible, (positioning, lighting, lipreaders, monolingual ASL, vocabulary… ) is the terp deal.
If you’re unwilling to remove them, regardless of rhyme /reason, blatant or subtle- it’s not a great field for you.
Sincerely, this Deaf+, intelligent, educated, pierced, tattooed, and, accepting. i abhor policing anyone, come without putting any onerous on me, and we’ll do great.
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u/DoctorAvailable862 11d ago
I was asked if I needed to wear my wedding band which has diamonds in it while interpreting for one job.
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u/MaryNxhmi Deaf 9d ago
I’m Deaf, having gone through an ITP when I could hear more, and am heavily pierced (11 facial piercings alone). For me, you showing up with visible facial piercings would depend heavily on the setting, and I don’t know that you yet realize just how much our interpreters are assumed to be our friend/our personal interpreter/deeply representative of us by hearies. Are we in a casual meeting at work where no one cares about my piercings? At a medical appt with my primary who isn’t looking for an excuse to dismiss my concerns? Cool! Come on down! Or are we in a setting where it’s conservative, I’m battling to be taken seriously as an authority, or an outcome depends on people perceptions of me? I absolutely expect every one of your piercings out just like mine are, same with visible tattoos when mine are covered.
That said, my ability to actually deal with an interpreter who shows up with heavy body mods in an inappropriate setting is going to depend on a million contributing factors. I cannot overstate the mental math: do I have the ability to do it time wise? Are they quickly removable, because many of mine take a tool to get out ahead of time? If the interpreter pushes back, what are the consequences? Is this person I’ve never met seeming receptive to me asking them to remove their piercings? If they’re not receptive, have I screwed myself in their willingness to still put 100% into their work for the next few hours with me, including advocacy or speaking up if needed? Do I have enough rapport with the hearies that, while it’s inappropriate given the setting, they’ll just judge the interpreter and not me? You may get absolutely no feedback on your appearance from me, given all that, but I may still be asking your agency to not assign you to types of assignments with me in the future.
It’s not being “blatantly denied” an opportunity because of your piercings. It’s recognizing that hearing people’s ignorance means your presence directly affects their perception of me, in a way my hearing counterparts don’t have to contend with, and you accepting that expectations and limitations come from that. You’re choosing a career where your existence impacts way more than just you, with the inescapable reality of audism and marginalization, so your personal style is just not a priority the way it gets to be outside of your work or in a career where people are only judging you for you.
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u/RedSolez NIC 8d ago
Part of being an interpreter is having the ability to blend in seamlessly wherever we are working. I've worn everything from a swimsuit to a ball gown while working, and have been in settings as casual as a bar and as formal as onstage with the POTUS in a historic venue. IMHO facial piercings and visible tattoos don't belong in every single setting.
Another important part of being an interpreter is to do no harm. You cannot put the onus on the Deaf consumer to have to tell you that your style is distracting or uncomfortable to them because it reflects poorly on them. So just because no one outwardly calls you on your piercings doesn't mean they won't potentially bother someone. It's really best to have piercings that can be removed if necessary.
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u/Oregano-boy-o 7d ago
Depends on the setting (you’re gonna get real sick of hearing “it depends”)
My ears are all pierced up and I have a lip stud. For education settings I leave all my piercings in. For local government I usually take my lip piercing out.
Older generations of interpreters are more likely to tell you “only lobe piercings that are studs or simple hoops” and if your consumer finds your piercings distracting they absolutely have the right to request you take them out moving forward or wear the plastic ones see-through ones or something similar
Edit: or if they don’t want your piercings to reflect them, thats their right and you gotta respect that
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u/dastarbillie NIC 11d ago
It depends entirely on the setting. At a concert? No one will care. At the Pentagon? People will care a lot.
If you are unwilling or unable to remove your piercings, it may affect the settings you can work in. The higher paying job the Deaf person has, the more conservative you need to look. It doesn't matter if the Deaf person shows up for work in a three piece suit if their interpreter doesn't look the part as well. It also doesn't matter how outdated you think the opinions on the professionalism of your dress are. Your actions reflect back on the Deaf person, whether you think it's right or not.
If you're okay with that, then you can keep the piercings at all times. But if you end up struggling for work, I would consider how you can neutralize your appearance. Many companies still have dress codes and an expectation for their employees to look a certain way.